Does anyone know what the crumbs are on the bottom of an English Muffin? You know usually you fin them on the Thomas' English Muffins...the little white flecks of salt looking things... What the heck are they?

I think it may be corn meal...a lot of bread-type baked items are baked on a sprinkle of corn meal to keep it from sticking to the baking sheet. Very common with pizza and certain types of bread, like French or Italian.

Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who'd lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again "you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??".

Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who'd lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again "you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??".

Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who'd lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again "you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??".

The information I've read (in the ever-so-credible-and-authoritative Uncle John's Bathroom Reader), is that Mr. Thomas arrived in America and began selling "tea muffins", based on his mother's own recipe. The name later changed to "English Muffins".

Does anyone know what the crumbs are on the bottom of an English Muffin? You know usually you fin them on the Thomas' English Muffins...the little white flecks of salt looking things... What the heck are they?

The word "muffin" appeared as a word in Britain around the 11th century A.D., derived from the Old French Moufflet, which meant "soft" in reference to bread.

Instructions for cooking a similar flat bread have existed since at least 1747, although credit for the phrase "English muffin" is often given to Samuel Bath Thomas, an English baker who emigrated to New York City and began producing his "muffins" around 1880. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, names the origin as 1902.

Before the popularity of baking powder raised muffins, English Muffins were referred to in England simply as "muffins", however the word "muffin" now refers to both muffins and English muffins in the UK, but usually context makes it clear which type is being talked about.

So-called "English muffins" are, in fact, usually referred to as teacakes in the UK, and not eaten for breakfast.

So, it would seem that either "muffin" or "teacake" would do in the UK. This picture of teacake looks like what I would call an English muffin. Also, according to wikipedia, an Enlgish muffin is a bit different from a crumpet:

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The crumpet is circular in shape (usually; long and square varieties also exist) and has a distinctive flat top covered in small pores. It has a resilient, slightly spongy texture and a rather bland flavour which, when eaten hot with a topping (usually butter), together make crumpets crisp on the outside and very succulent on the inside. They differ from the English Muffin, which is cooked on both sides, in that the dough is usually more moist to start with, so that a muffin ring may be required to hold the batter's shape.

So, it would seem that either "muffin" or "teacake" would do in the UK. This picture of teacake looks like what I would call an English muffin. Also, according to wikipedia, an Enlgish muffin is a bit different from a crumpet:

Farina is ground wheat, not corn, by the way. Thomas's uses wheat, which probably looks nicer on their nice white product in its nice white sleeve, but many recipes call for corn, like this one.

Teacakes, in my experience, are either more breadlike or more cakelike (including things like eggs, which English Muffins don't) than English muffins. One that I had was just like raisin bread, only round. But you're absolutely right that the distinguishing difference between in English muffin and a crumpet is the cooking method. That's why I said it was the "closest", not "the word for".

English muffins are weird, much like bagels. There's lots of things that are similar, but not quite identical to, an English Muffin. But I'll certainly accept teacake as a contender - it's at least as close as a crumpet is.

See the big holes in the crumpet? Crumpets are less bready - almost a little like pancakes. It's quite a different texture. All the big holes hold butter and jam very nicely.

Well, that's what the wikipedia article does say, but it's hard for me tell from that particular picture-- it looks like an English muffin to me. This looks a bit different from an English muffin, and this looks a lot different.

I'm Leftpondian, but I lived in London for two years and never once encountered anything very close to Thomas's English Muffins by any name. Had plenty of scones and teacakes, though. Mmmmmmmmm scones with clotted cream. Americans have no idea what they're missing.

The English muffin photo isn't a real English muffin. That site is selling replica food for things like photography, educational purposes, etc...

And this matters because? It looks exactly like the English muffins I eat regularly. I wasn't posting claiming that it was an actual English muffin, nor do I care. I was just trying to find photos to show the difference for the crumpet-challenged.

WhyNot, I regret to disagree with you, but I assure you that "English muffins" are indeed available here, and have been since I was a tiny wee lad at least, and almost certainly a whole lot longer. They are, of course, just called "muffins" (for the same reasons that you call "American football" merely "football").

As you observe, a "crumpet" is texturally nothing like a muffin, more like a bathroom sponge, and is cleverly designed to allow the melted butter to drip through the bottom, all over your shirt.

A "teacake" is a different shape to a muffin - rounder edges; a flat bun - and a different texture - much lighter - and usually studded with raisins. Hot cross buns are slightly smaller teacakes, with a pastry cross across the top.

A "scone" is indeed like an American biscuit, but it's often denser, sweet, and sometimes studded with raisins or dried fruit.

Muffin nomenclature in the UK has been somewhat skewed recently by the introduction of American-style sweet cupcake-style muffins, which are rather different beasts.

WhyNot, I regret to disagree with you, but I assure you that "English muffins" are indeed available here, and have been since I was a tiny wee lad at least, and almost certainly a whole lot longer. They are, of course, just called "muffins" (for the same reasons that you call "American football" merely "football").

Obviously, the next time I come to the UK, I'll have to stay with you, 'cause I couldn't find them ANYWHERE! It became sort of a running joke that English muffins weren't English.

Durn it. That's it. Y'all have English Muffins AND clotted cream. The fact that I thought the two were forever separated by an ocean is the only reason I've stayed here this long.

Obviously, the next time I come to the UK, I'll have to stay with you, 'cause I couldn't find them ANYWHERE! It became sort of a running joke that English muffins weren't English.

Where were you looking? It may seem a little odd from US perspective, but the British food market still has quite strong regional variations, particularly in the area of baked goods – an everyday bread product in one region will be entirely unknown (or at least hard to find) in other parts of the country.

Muffins in particular seem to be a bit of an odd case: they were very popular with the Victorians, but seem not ever to have been home-made, but rather bought from the muffin men who sold them in the street and door-to-door (Mrs Beeton gives a recipe for them in her 1861 Book of Household Management, but then immediately says “Muffins are not easily made, and are more generally purchased than manufactured at home.” which seems oddly self-defeating). As far as I can tell, they lost a lot of ground with the general disappearance of street-traders around the time of the First World War, and then suffered a second blow, and all but vanished, due to the shortages of WWII.

They were revived in the 70s by the larger national and regional manufacturers, looking for speciality products to add to their range, in order to increase their market.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that the best place to look for them is the pre-packaged baked goods section of a national-chain supermarket.

A 'pikelet' in these parts is very similar to a crumpet, however its about half as high as a crumpet, which means it toasts rather faster, but doens't hold as much butter.

Of course, despite what thehealth fascist may say, it is quite impossible to eat crumpets or pikelets with margerine, its butter or not at all, unless you have clotted cream with lashings of strawberry jam.

And there's the problem. I actively avoided such stores, under the philosophy that if I was enjoying small town life, I'd shop locally at small town stores. I can go to mega-marts at home.

I always go to grocery stores when I'm travelling. They have different stuff! In Switzerland, we found mayonnaise and ketchup in tubes . To me, it's one of the treats of travel to see what kinds of foods other folks eat and how it's packaged and presented for the regular consumer.

[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster]I always go to grocery stores when I'm travelling. They have different stuff! In Switzerland, we found mayonnaise and ketchup in tubes

I took quite a liking to the Thomy brand of mustard-in-toothpaste-tube, the "scharfer senf" is to die for. Ditto for the sweet fancy mustards. The mayo 'n ketchup with stripes left me underwhelmed though it was very good product.

A 'pikelet' in these parts is very similar to a crumpet, however its about half as high as a crumpet, which means it toasts rather faster, but doens't hold as much butter.

This seems to be the position that Marks and Spencer have adopted, too. Their pikelets are very thin but wide, whereas their crumpets are thicker and smaller in diameter.

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Of course, despite what thehealth fascist may say, it is quite impossible to eat crumpets or pikelets with margerine, its butter or not at all, unless you have clotted cream with lashings of strawberry jam.

Interesting. I got tired of butter long ago because it tasted different every time and because it picks up tastes even when it's well-wrapped. I've been using non-hydrogenated canola oil marg for years and it's great.

I think I'm going to have to buy some crumpets. I haven't had any in a long time.

I always go to grocery stores when I'm travelling. They have different stuff!

Ooh, me too. That's one of the pleasures I take in visiting different countries. I always go on a shopping trip the day before I'm leaving, and stock up on weirdness to take home. I am still using the mayo in a tube I got in Lyon last year, and I also got a can of "noix de saint Jacques", which are scallops in some kind of sauce The brilliant thing was that the can came with a load of real scallop shells taped to it in which to serve the "noix" propely. How French can you get?

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